Most versatile boxer from 1970-1989

Ray Leonard

 

leonard

 

i don't know enough about most of them so i shall refrain from voting, i wanna vote for leonard though

 

Leonard. He could box, he could punch, he could finish. Had speed, and flash, with good technical ability.

 

Duran: Mangled all opposition at 135 & stepped up & outboxed & battered Palamino/SRL then stepped up even higher & outboxed & out thought a prime Mega-Beast in Hagler (Whilst other feint hearts avoided him, SRL/Hearns) for 90% of the fight until naturally tiring in the last 2 rounds & then scaling the vertical wall one more time in beating & decking the Monster that was Iran Barkley who'd just obliterated Hearns. Duran was the "Last Man Standing"

 

Leonard just edges Duran for me.

 

ray leonard for me.
How far are you going to take this back bbal?
I wonder how kid gavilan will be ranked by people

 

No need, they are what they are, It's duran by a street for me as he had to adapt due to neccessity due to age & weight; hence he could still fight/box at the boxing geriatric age of 37 & win the 160 crown from a young fearsome lineil champion. The very idea or concept that a 37 year old blown up old Lightweight ought to be fighting a fearsome young terror at 160 today would have the governing bodies banned.

But from your list i'd give it too Michael Spinks who is one of the most underated & unappreiciated boxers of the modern era & is only brought to mind as the victim of a rampaging Tyson more's the pity.

I can't see how SRL gets it as there's to much smoke & mirrors about him for me. SRL gets it from a generic perspective which covers motive & marketing adapability as he was the shrewedest of the shrewd when it came to manipulation for futher advancement.

Journeyman Kevin Howard confirmed the fact that SRL was finished as a top echelon fighter in 84 when SRL quite boxing for good as he knew he did'nt have what it took anymore, his own words, he could't adapt to the higher weights & expect to beat the likes of the McCallums/Hearns/Duran or especially Hagler.

When he did reappear in 87 it was to conduct a well laid out $$$$$ plan of implementing the "Seniors tour of catchweight mega $$$ fights against old worn out foes such as Hearns & Duran & least we forget the dual title farce that was involving LaLonde..

Boxing wise SRL always fought the way he's always fought & thats as a plant-em multi salvo banger. He could'nt outbox Hearns in 81 & he beat him the same way he fought Benitez & Duran (Montreal) Bonds & Finch. SRL in New Orleans he just fled & against an old Hagler he fought the only way that was possible if he wanted to survive. Unlike Duran who fought & boxed Hagler from ring centre.

The 1st time SRL engaged a genuine young fighter he got humiliated by Norris & that was that!

 

Maybe you should do the pre 1960 version in the classic, you would get better answers than here I think.

 

******...atsch